Sanibel Community Lakes
Sanibel Community Lakes in Lee County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 132.5 µg/L.
- Max depth
- ~32 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Grade D measures nutrients and algae, not whether this is a good place for a cabin trip. Cabins and rentals near Sanibel Community Lakes →
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Sanibel Community Lakes is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lee County, Florida with an estimated average depth of about 32 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 73 other monitored lakes in Lee County, Sanibel Community Lakes ranks #20 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2025-04-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Grade onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus level: 132.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 75.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 132.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 75 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Where to stay near Sanibel Community Lakes
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sanibel Community Lakes in Lee County, Florida — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Sanibel Community Lakes are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Sanibel Community Lakes
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~32 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~4 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Florida has not published bathymetry for Sanibel Community Lakes.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Sanibel Community Lakes
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -54.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Sanibel Community Lakes is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL2092G · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.45 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #20 of 74 lakes in Lee County
Nearby Lakes in Lee County
Frequently asked questions about Sanibel Community Lakes
Where is Sanibel Community Lakes?
- Sanibel Community Lakes is a lake in Lee County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Sanibel Community Lakes?
- Sanibel Community Lakes in Lee County, Florida has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 132.5 µg/L.
Is Sanibel Community Lakes safe to swim in?
- Nutrients and algae run higher than average — check local advisories before swimming, and skip the water if you see scum. Sanibel Community Lakes has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Always check local health department advisories before swimming.
How deep is Sanibel Community Lakes?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sanibel Community Lakes, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 32 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Sanibel Community Lakes across LakeQuality
More Florida Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Florida
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Florida
Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples18 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)